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The AT.LANTUS trial recently demonstrated the efficacy and safety of insulin glargine initiation and maintenance using two different treatment algorithms in poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This sub-analysis investigated glycemic control and safety in 686 patients switching from premixed insulin (premix) with or without (+/-OADs) to once-daily glargine (+/-OADs/prandial insulin). A 24-week, multinational (n=59), multicenter (n=611), randomized study comparing two algorithms (Algorithm 1: clinic-driven titration; Algorithm 2: patient-driven titration) in four glargine+/-OADs treatment groups: alone, once- (OD), twice- (BD) or >twice- (>BD) daily prandial insulin. After switching to the glargine regimen, HbA(1c) levels significantly improved in the overall group (9.0+/-1.3 to 8.0+/-1.2%; p<0.001) and in all subgroups; fasting blood glucose levels also improved in all subgroups (overall: 167.1+/-50.0 to 106.9+/-27.2 mg/dL [9.3+/-2.8 to 5.9+/-1.5 mmol/L]; p<0.001). The incidence of severe hypoglycemia was also low in all four subgroups (< or =1.7%). Patients with T2DM switching from premix+/-OADs to glargine+/-OADs had significant reductions in glycemic control with a low incidence of severe hypoglycemia. The addition of prandial (OD, BD or >BD) insulin was associated with further improvements in glycemic control. These data provide support for the stepwise introduction of prandial insulin to a more physiologic basal-bolus regimen, which is under investigation.

This study assessed the incidence of severe hypoglycaemia with two insulin glargine titration algorithms: Algorithm 1 (increments of at least 10%, but not exceeding 4U) versus Algorithm 2 (1-6U increments). In this multicenter (n=409), multinational (n=54), open-label, 24-week randomized trial in 2442 subjects with sub-optimally controlled Type 1 diabetes (T1DM), mean prior insulin therapy duration was 14.6+/-10.3 years. The incidence of severe hypoglycaemia was similar with Algorithms 1 and 2 (16.6events/100 patient-years versus 14.4events/100 patient-years). There were similar rates of both symptomatic and nocturnal hypoglycaemia. HbA(1c) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) decreased significantly (baseline to endpoint; p<0.001), and comparably with Algorithms 1 and 2 (HbA(1c): -0.64% versus -0.72%; FBG: -57mg/dL versus -59mg/dL). Mean basal insulin dose increased with both algorithms (+5.7U versus +5.9U). In a diverse population with longstanding T1DM, transfer from any insulin regimen, including basal-bolus or premixed insulin to an insulin glargine-based regimen resulted in significant improvements in glycaemic control, with low rates of severe hypoglycaemia, irrespective of the titration algorithm used.

Objective: This study investigated the effect of insulin glargine (LANTUS) versus NPH insulin on metabolic control and safety in Asian patients with Type 2 diabetes, inadequately controlled on oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs)., Study Design and Methods: In this open-label, randomized, parallel, multinational, 24-week, non-inferiority study, 443 patients received either once-daily insulin glargine (n=220) or NPH insulin (n=223) at bedtime, plus glimepiride (Amaryl)., Results: Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. HbA(1c) levels decreased in the insulin glargine and NPH groups over the study period in the per-protocol (PP; -1.10% versus 0.92%) and full-analysis (FA; -0.99% versus -0.77%) populations. In the PP population, the difference between adjusted means (predefined equivalence region >-0.4%) was 0.19% (90% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02, 0.36), demonstrating non-inferiority between the two treatments. In a superiority analysis (FA population), the difference between adjusted mean changes in the two groups was 0.22% (95% CI: 0.02, 0.42), demonstrating the superiority of insulin glargine (p=0.0319). Moreover, the number of hypoglycemic episodes was significantly lower with insulin glargine versus NPH insulin (p<0.004), particularly severe (p<0.03) and nocturnal (p<0.001). Daily insulin dose increased from 9.6+/-1.5 to 32.1+/-17.6 U in the insulin glargine group and from 9.8+/-1.9 to 32.8+/-18.9 U in the NPH insulin group., Conclusion: These results confirm earlier reports that insulin glargine provides superior glycemic control with less hypoglycemia and demonstrates that these benefits are consistent between different ethnicities.

Background/aims: In patients with cirrhosis, decreased renal water excretion is a common complication. Niravoline (RU51599), a kappa-opioid receptor agonist, has been shown to induce an aquaretic response. The aim of this study was to evaluate the aquaretic effect and tolerance of niravoline in patients with cirrhosis., Methods: Biochemical tests and hemodynamic values were determined before and 1, 2, 3 and 24 h after niravoline administration at doses ranging from 0.5 to 2 mg iv in 18 patients with cirrhosis., Results: Diuresis significantly increased in the first hour from 64+/-9 to 146+/-31 ml/h, and returned to basal values after 3 h. Free water clearance also significantly increased, reaching the positive range at 1 h. Plasma osmolality significantly decreased at 2 h (from 290+/-4 to 286+/-4 mOsm/kg). Plasma sodium concentrations increased significantly at 3 h (from 133+/-1 to 134+/-1 mEq/l). Heart rate and arterial pressure did not change. The highest doses (1.5 mg or 2 mg) induced personality disorders and mild confusion within 2 h. These effects reversed completely within 8 h., Conclusion: This study shows that niravoline administration induces an aquaretic response and is well tolerated, at moderate doses, in patients with cirrhosis. Thus, moderate doses of niravoline may be useful for treating patients with cirrhosis and water retention.

We noninvasively investigated the effects of a single 30-min i.v. infusion of a 2-mg dose of niravoline, a new selective kappa-opioid agonist, on systemic and regional (brachial artery) hemodynamics, on plasma levels of the main hormones regulating the cardiovascular system, on diuresis and on plasma and urinary osmolalities and electrolytes. This was a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover study performed in 12 healthy volunteers. Compared with placebo, niravoline induced a significant, early and potent diuresis, which peaked within 2 hr (urine output increased 2.4-fold) and lasted for 4 hr. Niravoline significantly decreased, between 0 and 2 hr, urine osmolality (-71%) and sodium (-38%) and potassium (-29%) excretion and significantly increased plasma osmolality and natremia, without changing kalemia. Niravoline induced a slight, but significant, increase in blood pressure (+8% at 0.5 hr), which disappeared within 2 hr. Because heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output were not modified, this effect was due to an increase in total peripheral resistance (+22% at 0.5 hr). Niravoline did not modify brachial artery diameter and flow and corresponding vascular resistance. Niravoline tended to decrease plasma vasopressin levels and urinary excretion and significantly increased plasma levels of norepinephrine (+44% at 0.5 hr), active renin (+22% at 1.25 hr), aldosterone (+52% at 1.25 hr) and atrial natriuretic factor (+20% at 2 hr). We conclude that niravoline induces a potent aquaretic effect associated with antinatriuresis and antikaliuresis. These main effects are accompanied by a stimulation of the sympathetic and reninangiotensin systems and a slight and transient increase in blood pressure.

A 7 year old boy presented with a history of recurrent episodes of sinusitis and otitis. He developed paresis of the external muscle of his right eye with exophthalmos. A biopsy of his sinus mucosa demonstrated necrotizing granulomatous involvement of the membranes with the presence of multiple giant cells interspersed in zones of fibrosis. A diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis was entertained. However the absence of pulmonary and renal manifestations did not allow for a definitive diagnosis to be made. He later developed hematuria and a renal biopsy demonstrated a renal lesions consistent with Wegener's granulomatosis. He has responded well to Cyclophosphamide and Prednisone therapy.

Post-transplant polycythemia is not uncommon in adult patients and is usually transient, responding to phlebotomy. Five pediatric patients developed erythrocytosis post-transplantation. Three patients had end-stage renal disease due to cystinosis, one had reflux glomerulopathy and one had focal glomerular sclerosis. The probable causes of the polycythemia were graft arterial stenosis in three patients. In one, polycythemia occurred with nephrosis. Polycythemia with hypertension may indicate the presence of arterial stenosis in children post-transplantation.

Two children presented with nephrotic syndrome. Renal biopsy demonstrated minimal lesion nephrosis with mesangial IgA deposits. Response to prednisone therapy was prompt in both cases. The clinical and histologic features of these and other reported cases suggested a diagnosis of minimal lesion nephrosis and not IgA nephropathy (Berger's disease).

Four patients with total aganglionosis of the intestine had renal abnormalities. Two patients had cortical subcapsular cysts, one had unilateral renal agenesis and one other had unilateral renal dysplasia. The consistency of renal anomalies with total aganglionosis suggests the presence of a common genetic origin.

The long-term damaging potential of remnant nephron hyperperfusion was investigated in patients who had undergone unilateral nephrectomy in childhood. 27 such patients were examined after a mean of 23.3 years postnephrectomy. The average creatinine clearance was 83.9 +/- 16.5 ml/min/1.73 m2 or 74.3% of that in healthy controls with two kidneys; it was a value similar to that reported 3 to 6 months postnephrectomy in kidney donors. Age at the time of nephrectomy, duration of follow-up, or sex had no influence on the residual creatinine clearance. None of these patients had clinically important hypertension or proteinuria. Since so little evidence of kidney damage could be documented after such a long observation period, hyperperfusion would seem to be seldom of clinical importance in man unless other factors were present.